Blanket adapted for use in sun



2 Sheets-Sheet l M. A. PURSEI.

April 20, 1954 BLANKET ADAPTED FOR USE 1N SUN BATHING Filed Aug. 7, 1951 April 20,v 1954 M. A. PURSEL 2,675,807

BLANKET ADAPTED FOR USE 1N SUN BATHING Filed Aug. 7, 1951l 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Apr. 20, r1954 UNITED kSTATES PATENT OFFICE BLANKET ADAPTED FOR` USE IN SUN BATHING 8 Claims.

My invention relates to a blanket especially .adapted for use by sun bathers and to a means for supporting a portion of the blanket in a substantially upright position.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a ilexible blanket upon which the sun bather may lie and which 'has a light reflecting surface which may be adjusted relative to the sun so that the suns rays will be reiiected therefrom to the body of the bather. Another object is to provide a device of this character which will be comparatively low in cost and which may be rolled or folded for convenience in transportation. A further object is to provide adjustable means for supporting at least a portion of the blanket in upright position and which may simply rest upon or be secured to the surface of the ground, the roof of a building, or the like.

I accomplish these objects by means of the novel elements and the combinations and arrangements thereof described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. l is a plan view of my blanket;

Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. 1 in the plane 2 2;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of Fig. 1 in the plane 3 3;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section of Fig. 1 in the plane 4 4;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section of Fig. l in the plane 5 5;

Fig. 6 is an alternate section of Fig. 1 in the plane 6 6;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary portion of the blanket, partially in section, and with portions broken away;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a support;

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the support; and

Fig. 10 is an elevation View showing how the device is used.

Referring to the drawings My blanket comprises a fabric backing I which may be of canvas and, while the size is not particularly critical, it is preferably about 8 X 8'. Secured to the backing and forming the face of the blanket is a plurality of strips 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of metallic foil having a highly polished surface whereby it is adapted to reflect rays of light. Highly polished aluminum foil adhesively secured to a paper backing is commercially available in strips about 16" wide, is highly resistant to corrosion, and I prefer to use such foil. The strips of foil which are secured to the backing paper 1 by means Vof an adhesive 8 (see Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) are secured to the face of the blanket by stitches ,9, and the edges .of the blanket are protected by bindings I0 which are secured to the blanket by stitching II.

The lower corners of the blanket are preferably rounded, as shown at I2 and I3, and the binding, at least around the lower half of the blanket, is spaced somewhat from the edges of the foil and canvas, as shown at I4 in Figs. 5 and V7, to provide space for the drawstring I5. There are breaks in the binding at I8 and I1 (see Fig. l) and the drawstring I5 passes into one of these breaks and out of the other, as shown.

In order to make the blanket readily foldable, the strips of foil are preferably slightly separated, as shown at I8, I9 and 20, to provide lines along which the blanket may be folded. In Figs. l, 2, 3, 4 and 5, I have shown the transversely-extending, marginal edges of the foil and paper backing as being exposed. However, it is to be understood that these may .be covered by a suitable binding 2I which may be stitched thereto, as shown at 22 in Fig. 6.

While the entire face surface of the blanket may be covered with foil, I prefer to have one panel omitted so that the canvas backing Will appear on the face of the blanket, as shown at I in Figs. '1, 2 and 4. The reason for this is to provide a space on which the sun bather may lie on the fabric rather Vthan upon the foil. In other words, the blanket, as illustrated, has two. transversely-extending panels of foil in the upper portion thereof and three such panels in the lower portion thereof; said panels being spaced apart where the canvas forms both the back and the face of vthe blanket. Where the canvas is exposed on the face of the blanket, it is provided, near the marginal edge of the next adjacent panel of foil thereabove, with four buttonholes or grommets 23 which are adapted to receive standards for supporting the upper portion of the blanket substantially in upright position.

One Aof the `supporting standards is vshown in Figs. 8, 9 and l0 and comprises a base portion 25 which is adapted to rest, either upon the ground and may be spiked thereto, or upon a roof or floor to which it may be attached by means of screws, as shown at 25 in Fig. 10.

Pivotally secured to one end of the base member 24, is a bifurcated upright member 26, preferably arcuate in form about as shown, which may be swung into various positions, as indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 8, and secured vin adjusted vposition by means of the wing nut 21 which clamps the bifurcated member to the base.

Assuming that four supporting standards are used, the front branches .28 of the bifurcated members .are .passed through the buttonholes or grommets 23 from the back of the blanket and 3 the blanket is pulled down to the bottom of the bifurcation thus holding the portions 2 and 3 of the blanket above the buttonholes or grommets in upright position between the branches 26 and 28 which closely engage the back and front of the blanket. If desired, the lower portion of the blanket may be pulled up into the position shown in dotted outline at 29 in Fig. 10 by pulling the ends of the drawstrings l5 and securing them to the outside supports tov hold the blanket in the position shown, or the drawstrings may be made long enough so that the ends can be tied together, as shown at 30 inFig. 10.Y

In use, the sun bather 3i, lies on thel canvas exposed portion of the face of the blanket and,

depending upon the position of the sun, whichis shown in dotted outline at 32 and 33, the bifurcated supports may be adjusted and the lower portion of the blanket also adjusted so that the suns rays 34 will be reflected to the body of the bather, as shown in Fig. 10.

The blanket may, of course, be rolled or folded along the lines separating the panels of foil and forthat mattei', may be otherwise folded Withbutl injuring the foil unless'fthe foldsare very tight.r The blanket and its supports are readily portable and may be used practicallyanywhere.

9- 'Whill Lhavedescribedj vmy. invention in its v preferred embodiment, VVit to ,be understood Vthat'the .Words which I 'have usledjarewords of descriptionV rather' ,than'..'of..'limitation and that changes, itfithii'itle'fpulfiw .of 'Ltliev appended cliln'sfrna vb' rn .1th` tfdepa'tngfronrthe 1.. .mi a .deviceff'of use' un bathing, the combination 4rvitli .a flexible blanket comprising aifabricbackingga facinglcf lightarenectng nie-3 tallic'foilfand means 'securingsaid facing to 'sa-'id'- backing; said .blanket having a plurality of transversely-spaced openings .therein inter;

mediate the top and bottom thereof; of a pluf ality of supports for holding that portion of said blanket between said 'openings andthe topA thereoff in anupright'.position;v said supports corn'- prising 'bifurcated upstanding y'members adapted y linvefntin in-ri'ts of substantialv area:frsipportingsai' portion y 4 stantially upright position; each of said supports comprising a base adapted to rest upon a iiat surface, and a upright bifurcated member, adapted to embrace said one portion of said blanket between the branches thereof, pivotally secured to said base; whereby the inclination of said upright to surface upon which said base is resting may be adjusted.

"4. The structure set forth in claim 3 in which said upright bifurcated members are arcuate in form for maintaining the light-reflecting face of that portion of said blanket held thereby slightly concave.

, 5. A device adapted for use in sun bathing comprising a blanket of flexible material of a size adapting a bather to lie prone thereupon with portions of substantial area of said blanket disposed at either side of said bather; said portions of substantial area being provided with a light-reflecting face comprising metallic foil;v a binding around the marginal edges of said blanket: a draw string within that portion of said binding extending around one of said portions of sub;- stantial area and having its endsV extending through opposite sides of said blanket; and means cooperating with the other portion of said blanket substantially upright' positibn than fleeting face thereof slightly concave.

6. The structure set forthinclaim 5 in wh h justi'ng the position of" said concave'light-reect'- -ing'- face relative to the direction ofthe light rays :.portionat' the other side of vsaid bather; 'of 4a from thesun; and means forsecuring said supportirigfmeansin adjusted position.

, 7. A device adapted foru'sein'sun bathingcom prising the combination .with a yflexible blanket comprising afabri'c backing and a ight-'reflectf ,Surfaceof-freahefffi. anita-vegane@ area of a sizeadapting ai'irstv portion thereof,

when laid-upon the grou-nd., tojextend a substanaal distance-berend a 1er/'leone Side @i aba/crier l lying thereon, and a second po'rtion'to-extend" upwardlya substantialvdistance above'said lfirst standing bifurcated elements adapted to-receive to receive and yhold said/.portionof saidv blanket between the branches thereof when one of said members of each support is passed through one of said openings.

2. A iiexible blanket of a size adapted for use in sun bathing with the bather lying thereupon and comprising a fabric backing; a first facing of light-reflecting metallic foil extending down.. Wardly a substantial distance from the top edge of said blanket, a second facing of said foil extending upwardly a substantial distance from the bottom edge of said blanket; and means securing said facings to said backing in paralleldisposed, substantially spaced relation to each other with said backing exposed on' the face of said blanket in the zone between said facings and providing a fabric faced zone onsaid blanket on which said bather may lie.

3. A device adapted for use in sun bathing comprising a exible blanket of a size adapting a bather to lie thereupon and having light-refleeting face portions of substantial area, comprising a metallic foil, adapted to be disposed at either side of vsaid bather,and a plurality of spaced supports adapted to cooperate lwith one of said portions kof said blanket having a lightand closely engagesaid second portion ofsaid blanket within the bifurcations thereof and hold the same in upright position.

8. rlhe structure set forth in claim 7 in which the upstanding bifurcated elements are arcuate in shape; whereby said second portion of said blanket may be positioned within said bifurcations with the light-reflecting surface thereof concave on the side thereof adjacent a bather lying on saidrlrst portion. I

References cited in the fuenf this patent UNITED STATES PA'IaENlIS Number Name y lDate 73,355 Marshall Jan. 14,1868 1,611,031 Henderson Dec. 14, 1926 1,974,820 Krell Sept. 25, 1934 2,543,597 Peery Feb. 27, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number l Country Y Date 250,769 Switzerland July 16, 1943 388,574 France v; June 3, 1908 '446,247 Great Britain Jan..14,` 1935 948,440 France Jal'L 31,1949 962,768l

France Dec'. 12, '1949 

